Apparatus for dyeing package yarn



Oct. 15, 1940. H, 5 M AL 2,218,310

APPARATUS FOR DYEING PACKAGE YARN Original Filed Aug. 24, 1938 2Sheets-Sheet l Gttomeg Oct. 15, 1940. H. s DRUM ET AL 2,218,310

APPARATUS FOR DYSING PACKAGE YARN Original Filed Aug. 24, 1938 2 SneE-tSShs-ep 2 l r I I, Q 6 -rme l5 22 7Vrg Iram, mots IL V g mum azads aWzZZzM/iz/aiakzez; L, x 7 (Ittorneg Patented Oct. 15, 1940 UNITEDSTATES.

P'ATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR DYEING PACKAGE YARN Harry S. Drum andWilliam C. Dodson, Abington, and William H. Jaxheimer, Philadelphia,Pa.,

assig'nors to Smith, Drum and Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporationof Pennsylvania Original application August 24, 1938, Serial No.

Divided and this application January 7, 1939, Serial No 249,674

4 Claims.

10 arranged that many of the packages are either wholly or partly aboveother packages. By reason of this arrangement surplus liquid remainingin the packages after a dyeing or other treating operation seeps out ofthe packages, due to 15 gravity, and as a result the lower packagesreceive this drip either on the top or sides according as to whetherlocated directly or partially below the superposed package. This dripappears in the finished package in the form of 30 spots or uneven areasascompared to the body of the yarn, and is highly undesirable. Also inthis type of apparatus it frequently happens that a batch of yarnpackage is less in number than the normal capacity of the carrier andhence 25 certain package supporting spindles remain vacant during thetreating operation. This means that a greater quantity of liquid flowsout of the vacant spindles than passes through the yarn packages so thatthe time factor for treat- 30 ment becomes uncertain and leads to poorresults. One attempt to correct this has been to provide'closed tubesdesigned to be fitted over any vacant spindles of the carriers so thatthese particular spindles do not pass any liquid at all 35 during thetreating operation. This expedient is objectionable because when dyeingonly a partial lot there is a tendency to drive a greater quantity ofliquor through each package than when dyeing in full lot. Therefore theresults 40 from one batch to another cannot be the same since theconditions have been changed.

Some of the objects of the present invention are to provide an improvedapparatus for washing yarn in'package form; to provide appa- 4 ratuswherein yarn in package form can be finished without spots or unevenlydyed areas thereon; to provide an apparatus for treating yarn whereinthe quantity ofltreating liquid circulating through a plurality oi yarnpackages 50 remains substantially constant'whether the apparatus isfunctioning at full or part capacity; to provide a novel closure tubefor vacant spindles of a yarn package carrier; to provide an improvedmeans for attaching spindles to the 55 carrier of the treating machine;and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appeal.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents a plan of one form ofapparatus embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 represents a sideelevation of the same, the vat being broken away to illustrate interiorparts thereof; Fig. 3 represents a detail in elevation of the packagecarrier, certain of the parts being shown in section; Fig. 4 representsa side elevation of one of the spindles with its attached mounting nutin section; Fig. 5 represents a plan of the spindle as shown in Fig. 4-;Fig. 6 represents a longitudinal section of a novel control sleeve; Fig.'7 represents a section on line l--l of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 represents asectional detail of a spindle with its assembled parts; Fig. 9represents a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 8; and Fig. 10 represents adetail in section of the expansion tank and control outlet therefrom.

Referring to the drawings one form of dyeso ing apparatus is shown whichis equipped with one embodiment .of the present invention. Thisapparatus consists of a dye vat l0 associated with its customary dyesupply and expansion tank II and liquid circulating system including apum l2, operating motor l3,four way valve It and circulating pipes l5anad l5a. As here shown, a carrier [6 of the tubular type serves tomount the packages ll of yarn in a superposed relation at opposite sidesthereof. The pipe 15 leads into the vat l0 while the pipe I50.communicates with the interior of the carrier l6. By shifting the fourway valve M, the direction of the circulation through the carrier can becontrolled according to requirements, that is the direction of flow maybe from the carrier, through the packages and out through the vat ill,or from the vat ID, through the packages into the carrier and thence tothe pump' The packages H are wound on perforated tubes 40 I8 which fitover and are removably supported respectively on elongated spindles 20,which are cross-shaped in section allowing free how lengthwise throughthe four channels thus provided. The wound tubes l8 are held in place bycap nuts 2| threaded respectively to coupling members 22 which arewelded or otherwise made fast to the several spindles 20. The spindles20 are fixed to the carrier l6 by externally threaded. nuts' 23 whichare fast to the respective mount- 5 ing ends of the. spindles 20. Onefeature of the present invention relates to the novel. means wherebythese nuts 23 become permanently attached to the relatively thin angularplates which form the spindles 20. In this connection it should be notedthat each spindle 20 is formed of two metal angle strips 24 placed backto back and spot welded together to form the aforesaid cross-shapedspindle. While the nut 23 is.driven on the end of the spindle with atight fit it is obviously insecure for the purpose intended because thethin edges of the strips entering the nut do not allow sufiicient areafor welding the parts together. In order therefore to properly join theparts together, the nut 23 is driven on the end of the spindle until itsouter end is flush withthe end of the spindle. The nut 23 as preparedfor assembly is counter-bored with a taper so that an annular pocket 25encircles the end of the spindle 20. This pocket 25 as well as the foursegment spaces ofthe spindle 20 are filled with metal by a weldingprocess so that a solid lug 26 not only closes the channels of thespindle but integrally connects the nut 23 and the side faces of thestrips 24. With the parts so united, four holes 21 are drilled throughthe weld plug 26 in alineme'nt respectively with the strip channels sothat endwise flow of liquid is permitted in 9 normal manner.

When all of the spindles 20 are filled with yarn packages, the machineis operating at maximum efllciency and a known quantity of liquidtraverses each package in a given time.

capacity of the machine, there will be just as many vacant spindles asthere are less packages. Obviously operating the machine on theseconditions varies the quantity of liquid passing through the packages.An attempt to overcome this uncertainty has been made by providingclosure sleeves which are designed to fit over the spindles and seal allsuch against any circulation of liquid.- This proposal introduces afactor just as disadvantageous as the free flow method because now agreater quantity of liquid at increased pressure traverses the packages.This problem has been solved in the present instance by providingcontrol sleeves 28 of a diameter to "fit over the spindles 20 and ofsuch alength as will entirely enclose the spindle. Each of the sleeves28 is provided at a suitable location with ports 30 to allow liquid toenter and leave the spindles in a regulated amount. As shown each sleevehas eight of these ports 30 arranged circumferentially adjacent to anend of the sleeve, and the size and,

number of the ports is such as will permit a predetermined amount of thetreating liquid to circulate therethrough.- This is to so control thecirculation that the absence of any packages upon the carrier will notin any way influence the quantity of liquid traversing the packages in agiven time. In other words by substituting a port controlled sleeve 28in place of a package has no effect upon the packages being treated andeach is treated just as though all the carrier spindles 20 actuallymounted a package.

In order to prevent the dyed goods from becoming spotted by drip fromone package superposed with respect to another, the present inventionincludes a novel method and one form of apparatus for carrying out thatmethod whereby the packages are back washed in clear water after thedyeing operation. By this. method the dyed packages are maintained in asubmerged condi- 'tion until all of the surplus dye has been removed andtherefore at the end of the washing operation and with the vat empty all"drippings from one package to another will be of clear liquid with nodye therein. While the method of dyeing follows generally the knownsteps, an

If, however, thenumber of packages to be treated is less than theflowcan be stopped, the vat drained, and the packages removed in uniformlydyed condition.

An apparatus for carrying out this step in the method consists of adischarge pipe 3| connected, in the present instance, to a T 32 in thecover. 33 of the vat and which T 32 also serves as a connection for theoverflow pipe 34 leading to the expansion tank A shut-off valve 35 islocated in the pipe 34 and a control valve 35 is .located in thedischarge pipe 3|. During a dyeing operation the valve 36 is closed andthe valve 35 is opened, but when the packages are to be back-washed thevalve 35 is closed and the valve 36 is open. The discharge pipe 3| maylead to a drain valve 31 or any other convenient waste outlet. Asupplypipe 38 controlled by a valve 40 communicates with the expansiontank H and is connected to a water source. The delivery of water fromthe expansion tank H to the vat I0 is by the same means used forcirculating the dye liquor into the vat |fl and the carrier 16,consisting of a pipe 4| leading from the return of the four way valve l4to the suction side of the pump l2. This pipe 4| passes beneaththe'expansion tank whereit communicates with a lift valve 42 whichisarranged to be opened or closed according to requirements by a hand rod43 in an accessible location. During the normal dyeing operation, withsuflicient dye liquor in the vat ID, the lift valve 42 is closed so thatthe liquor is recirculated through the pump I3. When the backwashingstep is to take place the lift valve 42 is opened and clear water fromthe expansion tank enters the system to cause the dye liquor to overflowthrough the pipe 3| to the drain 37. This occurs because the shut-offvalve 35 in the pipe 34 has been closed, and the control valve 36opened.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the novel apparatus devisedby these applicants has completely overcome spotty and uneven dyeingresults, particularly those occurring as an aftermath of draining dyeliquor from a vat. Also by the present invention the prior handicapsattending the dyeing of a quantity of packagesless in number than thecapacity of the carrier have been overcome. Thus by the use of closuretubes having a predetermined quantity flow therethrough, it is possibleto dye a small number of packages with the same assurance as to finishas wouldbe obtained with a carrier filled to capacity with packages.

While only a single form is shown in which this invention maybeembodied, it is to be under stood that the invention is not limited toany specific construction, but might be applied to various forms withoutdeparting from the spirit of, the invention or the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a dyeing. machine the combination of a vat, a carrier for packagesof yarn including liquid circulating spindles for mounting therespective packages, means for causing a circulation of dye liquorthrough said spindles and packages, and a fluid flow resistance creatingdevice interposed in the path of liquid delivered to a vacantspindlewhereby the rate and pressure of liquid flowing through yarnpackages on other spindles are maintained the same respectively as whena yarn package is on said vacant spindle.

2. In a dyeing machine the combination of a vat, a carrier for packagesof yarn including liquid circulating spindles for mounting therespective packages, means for causing a circulation of dye liquorthrough said spindles and packages, and means including a closure sleevetelescoping with any vacant spindles for maintaining substantiallyspindles were supporting a yarn package.

3. In a dyeing machine the combination of a vat; a carrierfor packagesof yarn including liquid circulating spindlesfor mounting the respectivepackages, means for causing a circula tion of dye liquor through saidspindles and packages, and a closure sleeve for each vacant spindle,said sleeves each having openings of a size to pass a predeterminedquantity of liquor in a given time.

4. In a dyeing machine the combination of a spindle arranged to mount ayarn package and to' form a passage for liquor to and from such package,and a tubular member arranged to fit over said spindle in place of saidpackage, said member having means to pass a predetermined I quantityofliquor in a given time.

HARRY S. DRUM. WILLIAM C. DODSON. WILLIAM H. J

